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The full cast and creative team have been announced for Speed a break-neck journey through the daily annoyances and deep-buried secrets that leave us spinning which opens at the Bush Theatre on 4 April (Press Night 10 April).
Hilarious and heartfelt, this world premiere production reunites writer Mohamed-Zain Dada and director Milli Bhatia after the wild success of the Olivier Award-nominated, Blue Mist (Royal Court). The cast is Arian Nik, Shazia Nicholls, Nikesh Patel, and Sabrina Sandhu.
A nurse, a delivery driver, and an entrepreneur walk into a speed awareness course…
Abz is the UK’s leading expert on road safety and the most in-demand course facilitator north of the M25.
In an entirely average hotel basement somewhere in Birmingham, three speedsters are summoned to his class with a choice: change your ways or lose your licence.
But a routine training course quickly veers into a tumultuous group therapy session as they are forced to confront the real question: why are you all so angry?
Milli Bhatia is a stage, screen, and radio director, and dramaturg from East London. She is an Associate Artist at Synergy and was Associate Director at The Royal Court Theatre. Before this, she was a Trainee Director and then a Literary Associate at The Royal Court, Associate Artist at The Bush Theatre, Resident Assistant Director at Birmingham Rep and Creative Associate at The Gate Theatre. Her training includes The National Theatre Director’s Programme, and The Old Vic 12.
Milli is a two-time Olivier Award nominee, for her productions of seven methods of killing kylie jenner and Blue Mist, both premiered at The Royal Court Theatre. She has also been nominated for Off West End Awards, Visionary Arts Awards, EE Awards, and Asian Media Awards, and her work has received West End and international transfers, including to The Public Theater NYC, Woolly Mammoth DC, Riksteatern and The Swedish Biennale (Dramaten). Her work in theatre also includes Chasing Hares (Young Vic), King Troll (The Fawn) (New Diorama), My White Best Friend and Other Letters Left Unsaid (Royal Court/Bunker), Macbeth:Something Wicked (Donmar tour), Liberation Squares (Nottingham Playhouse/Brixton House/National tour), Dismantle This Room (Bush Theatre/Royal Court), Maryland and Baghdaddy(Royal Court).
Mohamed-Zain Dada, who goes by the name Zain, is a playwright and screenwriter. His first writing credit, Emily (Glitched) In Paris was for the Royal Court Theatre’s Living Newspaper series in March 2021. He is an alumnus of BBC Drama Room’s 2022-23 cohort and NFTS x Left Bank Pictures’ inaugural Diverse Writer’s Room Programme 2024. Zain’s debut play, Blue Mist premiered at the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court Theatre in October 2023 to four and five-star reviews and was nominated for an Olivier Award. His second play, Dizzy premiered at the Sheffield Playhouse (co-produced by Theatre Centre).
Shazia Nicholls plays Faiza. Shazia has just finished performing as Mrs Quickly in The Merry Wives of Windsor directed by Blanche McIntyre for The Royal Shakespeare Company. Before arriving in Stratford Shazia starred in The Duchess of Malfi for The Globe at The Sam Wanamaker Theatre and The Inquiry at Chichester Festival Theatre. Screenwise, Shazia recently wrapped Alfonso Cuarón’s latest series Disclaimer for AppleTV+ opposite Cate Blanchett and HeYeon Jung. Prior to this, Shazia was on stage in Margaret Perry’s Oliver award-nominated play Paradise Now! at the Bush Theatre. She can be seen in Peter Kosminsky’s, Darkness Rising, and Call the Midwife for the BBC. She is perhaps best known for her role in the critically acclaimed series, Dr Foster opposite Suranne Jones. Other credits include The National Theatre’s Antony and Cleopatra, The Winter’s Tale, and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth.
Arian Nik plays Samir. Arian trained at Mountview Academy. Theatre credits include: Blue Mist (Royal Court), Sokhan Begoo (Royal Court), Kabul Goes Pop: Music Television Afghanistan (Brixton House), and The Village (Stratford East). TV and Film credits include: Daddy Issues (BBC), Film Club (BBC), Missing You (Netflix), Passenger (ITV), Count Abdulla (ITV), Giant (AGC Studios), Allelujah (Pathé), and Artemis Fowl (Disney).
Nikesh Patel plays Abz. He stars in the upcoming Amazon feature film Picture This as ‘Akshay’ opposite Simone Ashley. He also recently starred in the second season of The Devil’s Hour for Amazon. Other recent highlights include series 3 of the BBC/HBO hit show Starstruck, playing the lead role of ‘Tom Kapoor’ opposite Rose Matefeo and in the feature film The Critic directed by Anand Tucker. Other highlights include ‘Kash’ in Mindy Kaling’s ten-part Four Weddings and a Funeral (Hulu) and ‘Foaly’ in feature film Artemis Fowl, directed by Kenneth Branagh (Disney). Nikesh trained at the Guildhall School of Drama and was named one of the 2010 Screen’s UK Stars of Tomorrow.
Sabrina Sandhu plays Harleen. Sabrina trained at the Television Workshop. Her television credits include The Syndicate (BBC), Dodger(BBC/NBC Universal), Maternal (ITV), and the guest lead in Not Going Out for the BBC. Most recently, she starred in the critically acclaimed Dinosaur (BBC/HULU) by Two Brothers, and the second series of the smash hit We Are Lady Parts (Working Title). On stage, Sabrina’s credits include Pritti Pasha in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at the Apollo in London’s West End, I Dare You at the Nottingham Playhouse/Leicester Curve, If We Were Older for the National Theatre and East Is East for the Nottingham Playhouse. Sabrina has worked on several projects for BBC Radio and won the Best Debut Performance award at the BBC Audio Drama Awards for her work on Black Eyed Girls (BBC Radio 4).
Speed is generously supported by Charles Holloway OBE.
Get your tickets here: https://www.bushtheatre.co.uk/event/speed/
WRITTEN BY: Nura Arooj